Politicians are free to debate on who started free SHS – Africa Education Watch

Executive Director of the Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare has argued that there is nothing wrong with politicians debating about who started the Free Senior High School Policy.

According to him, Ghana is in the political season and politicians have the right to compare their achievements and debate, when one thinks the other poached his idea.

To him, the debate is also a positive one as it helps Ghanaians know where a particular political party picked the country from and what they have improved upon.

Speaking in an interview with Samuel Eshun, host of the Happy Morning Show on e.TV Ghana and Happy FM Kofi Asare said, “It is the political season and politicians have the right to compare their works and achievements but, they must be factual and be based on the principles of accountability”.

He admitted that the National Democratic Congress started the free SHS to an extent at the progressive level whilst the ruling government made it completely free.

“The difference between the free SHS and the progressively free is that the former cared for day students to an extent whilst the latter cared for all students, both those in day and boarding schools”.

The advocate motioned that governance is a continuum however and if one party started a policy and it was made better by another, “then it is good for the nation”.

“We vote because we want change and nothing else. Continuing the progressively free education and making it completely free is good and that was what the new government came to do”.

To him, the policy is helping the country achieve the universal access to both basic and free access to education which he describes as a good thing.

The opposition leader of the NDC, ex-President Mahama in his campaign tour in the Upper East Region, told residents he started the free SHS policy before Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP took over.

But addressing drivers at the Odorkor Lorry station on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, as part of his tour of the Greater Accra Region, President Akufo-Addo cautioned Mahama to desist from taking credit for a policy he opposed.